The White Dress – Corona Del Mar
I’ll be sharing some of my dress shopping tips for all my beautiful brides-to-be! However, I cannot take credit for all the tips as I also received helpful advice from girls on Instagram – so thank you to all those ladies!Panache – Costa Mesa
Where to start?
This is the most overwhelming part, but it’s okay, I’m here to help!
1. It’s never too early to start looking. I suggest shopping anywhere between 8-10 months before the wedding date. Chances are you’re not going to find your dress at your first store anyway, therefore it will take probably a month or two until you find your gown. Most gowns take 6 months to make. Then you’ll need an additional 4-8 weeks for alterations. So… start early. If you start any later, you’ll still be okay, just be ready for some hefty rush delivery fees on top of your total budget.
2. Browse sites such as TheKnot.com, WeddingWire.com, or google wedding blogs. The Knot has search options where you can filter hundreds of dresses and narrow them down based on your budget, silhouette, neckline, etc.
3. Start following any & all bridal Instagram accounts – designers, inspo accounts, wedding blogs, wedding photographers, etc. Just by browsing, you’ll start getting ideas of what styles you like.
4. Keep up with NY Bridal Fashion Week – NYBFW showcases all the designers’ new lines for the upcoming year.
5. Search nearby bridal shops and browse their designers. Every bridal shop’s website will tell you what designers they carry.
Where to look for bridal shops?
1. Yelp: Yelp is always a great starting point. I just typed in “Bridal Salon/Shop” in the search. Also, read the reviews so you know ahead of time what you’re getting myself into in terms of selection, service, and pricing.
2. Instagram: Follow your favorite designers – then go onto Google and search if there are any shops in your area that carry your desired designers.
Galia Lahav Flagship Store – Los Angeles
Trunk shows & sample sales:
1. Trunk shows showcase the designers’ newest collections. Often times the designer will be present and there is a special one-day-only discount issued if you purchase that day.
2. Sample Sales can get tricky but it doesn’t help to reserve an appointment and try one out. Just know it’s exactly what it is – a sample sale aka the dresses aren’t going to be in perfect condition OR from the latest collections, but you will be paying a fraction of the price.
3. If you’ve narrowed down your designers, research their upcoming trunk shows/sample sales. Spots fill up quick so register for a slot at least a few weeks before the date. If all spots are filled, you’ll be placed on a waitlist but chances are you won’t get lucky. If you get an appointment and decide to cancel however, you’ll most likely be charged a penalty fee – typically $50. These events are often announced on their social media accounts on either the designer herself or the bridal shop’s account.
Trends or Nah?
1. Some brides like it trendy, some like it classic, some like it modern, some like it vintage. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you will still love 3, 5, even 10 years from now.
2. The cons to being trend/era specific is that it might not be something you’ll like later down the line. However, if the current trend caters exactly to your style, go for it!
3. Personally, I wanted my gown to be timeless, something that I can see still being in style 5 years down the line. My gown is sexy yet classy, has some bling but not too much, and doesn’t have any crazy trendy additives that won’t make me cringe 10 years from now. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a rash decision.
What to do & know before your first shopping trip:
1. Wear something cute that’s also easy to get in and out of. Most shops will have a robe for you to wear if you want to wander the store in the midst of trying on gowns. If they don’t, wearing something easy to get on and off will make your life easy.
2. Go in full hair and make up. You can do it yourself, just try to look nice. You want to get an idea of what you’ll look like on your actual wedding day. Doing your hair and wearing decent make up will definitely give you more of the full effect.
3. Wear a moderate heel or a heel height similar to what you’ll be wearing on your big day – shops will have heels but it’s always just easier wearing your own cause they’re usually 3 sizes too big and it’s annoying when your feet are sliding forward or flopping out the shoe as you’re carrying all that dress out the fitting room onto the platform.
4. My sales associate told me this ‘secret’ – all the models modeling the gowns.. 99% of the time, they are standing on shadow boxes and in 6in heels – which is why they look SOO tall and thin and which is why the gowns look so flawless on them. DON’T get discouraged if you don’t feel you look like the models in the photos. My associate models wedding gowns herself and she said that most of the girls are no taller than 5’8″ or 5’9″ and the actual photo looks nothing like what goes in the editorial (after insane amounts of editing they do). In other words, it’s all catfishing LOL.
What styles to try on:
1. Initially, I only wanted to try on the style I liked – I was pretty particular and adamant about what I wanted and thus didn’t want try on other options. DON’T DO THIS.
2. Try on ANY and everything. Let your associate guide you if you don’t know where to start. Let her know what body parts you’re self-conscious about and/or what parts you want to flaunt. I ended up realizing the silhouette I originally wanted did not flatter by body as I had imagined. I wanted a strapless, sweetheart neck, mermaid gown but instead went with straps on a fit and flare. So try everything on! Even if it looks ugly on the rack, most dresses look completely different on your body than they do on the hanger.
3. You only get to try on wedding dresses once in your life (well, usually), therefore take advantage of it! Plus, you might end up loving a style you initially hated.
4. Try on veils with the dresses, it completes the look. You’ll won’t get the full effect if you don’t have the veil on too.
5. I had a ‘dream dress’ I was stuck on that was slightly out of my price range. One of the shops I went to carried it and I really wanted to try it on just to get it out of my system. Your associate will tell you that it’s better not to try it on, but if you REALLY REALLY need to try it on, just do it. Whatever, YOLO. Just be careful – the last thing you want to do is fall in love with something you can’t afford. For me, it wasn’t too outside my price range so it wasn’t that serious. But if your budget is 4k and your dream dress is 10k, it’s safe to just keep away altogether. Luckily for me, I actually hated how my ‘dream’ dress looked on me so I was able to mentally trash it immediately.
Split trips/Trip #2 with 2nd group of maids: Amanda (maid), Paige (MOH), Sheena (maid)
The Bride Tribe:
1. Unless you’re very outspoken and aren’t easily swayed by opinions, shop with a small group. I have 8 maids, plus my mother, mother-in-law, and grandma-in-law who also wanted to come as well. What I did was split the groups up. I had 4 maids come with me to my first shop and 4 maids come to my second. When you have tons of girls together, there will be A LOT of opinions vocalized. It may be overwhelming if you’re afraid to speak up/cut people off when talking. Therefore, keep it small. After all, it’s what YOU like, not what they like.
2. Bring the squad on one trip each, do the rest with mom (and grandma, mom-in-law at most). Your mom (probably) knows your style the best – she will also probably be the one helping pay for it, thus having only her there will make the process not only easier, but faster as well. You won’t need to be standing on the podium for 10 minutes listening to each maid’s opinions. It’s just you and mom. I tried 5 dresses in 2 hours with my maids, I tried 6 dresses in 45 minutes with my mom.
3. If you want everyone to be there, bring them to your fitting, as in after the dress you order comes in and you go back to the shop to get it fitted. This way, no one can say anything because you already have the dress in hand. If anything, you can have them help you pick out a veil.
Panache – Costa Mesa
Bridal shops in LA/OC/IE area:
There are obviously tons more (Yelp will have them all) but these are ones I went to and/or were recommended:
1. Panache Bridal ($$$) – Costa Mesa, Pasadena, Beverly Hills: I went to their Costa Mesa location and I loved it. Jaime was my associate and she was absolutely great in guiding me through what styles I might like as well as exploring different shapes and sleeve options. Panache is a great place to start – they have a huge selection and their shop is GORGEOUS.
2. Lovella ($$$) – Glendale: I found my gown before I was able to come here but I’ve heard nothing but great things. I’ve been told Lovella is a great place to start as a first timer as well!
3. The White Dress ($$$) – Corona Del Mar: This was the first shop I went to. Their selection was relatively small as it is a small shop. Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy my time here but everyone’s experiences are subjective to their own, so I’ll leave it at that.
4. Galia Lava Flagship Store ($$$) – Los Angeles: If you know you like a particular designer, it doesn’t hurt to go to their flagship store. The associates can really help you because they know the designer and styles to a tee. I ended up finding my gown here 🙂 Ask for Jazz if you decide to make an appointment!
5. Blush Bridal ($$) – Tustin
6. Deborah’s Bridal ($$) – Upland
7. Mariposa ($$) – Anaheim
8. The Dresser ($$) – Fullerton
9. Kinsley James Couture ($$$) – Los Angeles
10. Monique Lhuillier ($$$$) – Los Angeles
11. Lovely Bride ($$$) – Pasadena
12. BHLDN ($$) – Beverly Hills
Making Appointments:
1. Call at least a week or two in advance if you’re going on the weekend. Most shops are booked the week of unless you’re looking to shop mid-week during late morning/early afternoon.
2. I spent on average 1-2 hours at each bridal shop. The first shop I spent 2 hours, but was at all other shops for at most an hour. Once you know what you like, the time spent at the shops will decrease cause you’ll already know what works for your body.
3. If you want to hit a couple of stores in one day, plan so that you have enough time in-between to get from one shop to the other. I would suggest grouping two or three shops if they’re in the same city or county. Leave more time than you need in between each appointment just in case. If you arrive early, the shops can always take you if their schedule allows.
I felt extremely overwhelmed and had no idea where to begin right after I got engaged, so I hope this helps you girls! Too, you’ll get a hang of it after your first shopping trip – you’ll know what you want, don’t want, etc. But the most important thing to remember is to pick a dress YOU love, not a dress that your mother or MOH or sister loves. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t absolutely LOVE it. There’s nothing worse than going home knowing you just dropped thousands of dollars on a dress you’re not totally gawking over and will probably dislike even more 8 months down the line on your wedding day. Every dress I put on, I gave it a percentage. 100% was obviously the goal but most of the dresses I tried on during my first trip barely hit 65-70%. Don’t let that discourage you, you’re just getting a hang of what fits you. The numbers will only increase after your first shopping trip!
XO, Jess